What about a 5.6L V8

Since Toyota is said to be using a 5.0L V8 in there Supra replacement, why doesn't Nissan use the 5.6L V8 from their new full size Titan pickup. It is rated stock at 300bhp and 375lb-ft. A mild tune and a nice exhaust should net and easy 400Bhp without even breaking a sweat.

I'm pretty sure the V8 for the Nissan Titan is a VK-series. A 5.6L VK probably isn't very sporty. After all, it was tuned for a truck, so it probably doesn't rev much. You can tell that the focus was on torque out put, since torque is higher than the 4.5L variant, while peak hp is lower.

The VK45DE already makes almost 350hp in a luxury car. It is so quiet and smooth that a starter cutout had to be installed to keep owners from trying to start the engine after it is already running. I have a Maxima with the VQ V6 that the VK is based off of, and I have the same problem when friends drive it. I don't have a cutout, though.:( Anyway, Nissan could easily get 400hp out of it by sacrificing some of that smoothness and quiet.

I have also heard that the cam profiles on the VQs are very mild. Even the aftermarket ones weren't that hot, and gains are estimated at 15+hp for the 3L VQ. If Nissan could make some more aggressive cams for the VK, the gains would be great.

If a GT-R were to get a VK, Nissan would probably keep the displacement at 4.5L or less. Using a 4L or 3.5L would give the GT-R a nice revvy character. It would actually be sporty, unlike the Titan.



For an example of what a nice NA V8-powered GT car is like, just look at the Maserati 4200GT. Although the engine is based on the Ferrari 360 Modena's V8, the extra displacement gives the Maserati a character all its own. Since the switch from the original twin turbo 3.2L inline-6, the Maserati has gotten nothing but praise...except for the clunky F1-style tranny in the Cambiocorsa model, but that's optional.